Fear jolted Shannon when she realized what he’d said. The knowledge that he might have to fight another werewolf left her feeling stark terror.
No one inside the room spoke to protest his announcement.
“Good.” Anton sighed. “It’s official. I’m the temporary alpha.” He hesitated. “Temporary. That’s the key word here. Dad will get past this and I’ll concede the title back to him. We need to show a strong front for the pack. It’s imperative they know everything will remain the same and it hasn’t weakened us in any way.”
The blond cleared his throat. “What about her, Anton? No disrespect, but it’s going to cause waves with some that you’ve marked the enemy.” The guy bit his lip. “I heard you say she can’t shift and she’s mainly human, but as an enforcer, it’s my job to point out all possible problems.”
Von stepped forward. “If it becomes a point of contention with our pack, or outside challengers who believe there’s the possibility of taking the alpha position here, I’ll step up. We’ve already discussed that scenario if Dad needed to step down, which has now happened. Its fine, Kane. One of us will lead the Harris Pack. I highly doubt anyone would want to challenge all my brothers, and that’s what they would be up against.” He met Anton’s stare. “I phoned Grady while you and Shannon were changing clothes. He’s willing to fight to help us hold the pack. We’re totally united.”
“I never doubted that.” Anton addressed the blond. “Kane, I want you and your men to spread word that everything is taken care of and there’s no cause for alarm. Perhaps it would be better if you just told them we’re sharing the alpha position while our father recovers. Make sure everyone knows the entire Harris family…” He paused to glance back at Brand. “Are you united with us?”
Brand grinned. “You know I love a good fight. I’ve always got your backs.”
Anton chuckled. “I knew that but I didn’t want to speak for you.” He faced Kane again. “You heard him. If they feel stupid enough to think it’s a good time to challenge for lead position in the pack, it will be the last thing they ever do.”
Kane grinned. “You have the support of your enforcers.” He shot a glance at the other men. “I can speak for them, since they know I’ll kill them otherwise.”
A few of the men chuckled.
Anton grew serious. “I hate to do this during mating heat but for the time being, we double up in teams. We have no idea how this news will affect outsiders and there’s plenty of them in town. No one goes anywhere without someone to defend their back.”
“Shit,” Rave groaned, walking back into the room. “Only on patrol, right?”
“No.” Anton shook his head. “They may use the heat, feeling it’s a perfect time to attack. Pair up at all times.”
“No,” Braden groaned. “Anything but that.”
Rave suddenly laughed. “What’s wrong, Braden? Are you afraid to have a witness around to see how little you know about females? I’ll pair up with you. I’ll be more than happy to give you advice if you’re doing something wrong.”
Shannon tugged on Anton’s hand. He looked down at her. “Does that mean what I think it does? I…” Her cheeks flamed with heat and her voice lowered. “I’m not having sex with someone else inside a room with us. I can’t.”
He pulled her against his side and laughed. “Not in the same room but they’ll be close enough that we can look out for each other if someone shows up to attack.”
“You both can stay at my house,” Von offered. “I’ve got enough bedrooms and I’ve got a hell of a security system. I paired up with Debbie for mating heat, and you know she won’t cause any problems over Shannon’s bloodlines.”
Kane chuckled. “Debbie, huh? That’s brave.”
Von shrugged. “I have no interest in mating her, and we all know she’s already set on mating someone else. I like her. She’s fun and easy to get along with.”
“You know Parker won’t be happy about it.”
“Then he shouldn’t have run away. He’s spending his heat with someone else, since he’s not here with her. Debbie is my friend, and if he won’t take care of her, I will. She’s too vulnerable at this moment to trust any other male not to take advantage of the heat to mate her. She’s safe with me.”
Kane’s humor vanished. “That’s true. She’s too sweet and attractive. I know a dozen males who’d try to seduce her into a mating and I’d hate to see them die when Parker finally grabs a clue. He’d kill any man who claimed her.”
Shannon glanced up at Anton for clarification. He sighed. “You’ll like Debbie. She’s a half-breed. Some werewolves are old school and believe mating half-breeds taints the pack. Parker’s family convinced him that mating her would ruin their precious heritage, and the moron left to avoid his feelings for her.”
Rave cleared his throat. “I hate to break this up, but I’m starting to suffer from the heat. I feel aggressive as hell and I have a woman waiting at my place. Let’s partner up and assign schedules. In another half hour, if I’m not fucking someone, there’s going to be a fight.”
Kane laughed. “Let’s get down to business then. I’m not fucking you, man.”
“You’d be the bitch, not me.” Rave winked. “And you’re so not my type.”
Chapter Sixteen
Anton watched Shannon study his brother’s guestroom and it took everything he had not to lunge at her, pin her to the bed, and tear off her clothes. His dick throbbed painfully, trapped inside his pants, aching to sink into her hot, tight body. He held back a snarl.
“You’re not scenting strongly of need anymore.”
She peered out the window at the view of the woods, her back to him. “I guess the hormones they gave me aren’t going to have any lasting effects on me. I’ll probably never go into heat that strongly again.” She turned with a smile. “Isn’t that great news? I’m almost normal again. I’m still achy and turned on but it’s not a mindless need now.”
Would I be a bastard if I disagreed? I want you hot. I’d give anything to have you burning under me again, clawing at me, unable to get enough. He kept those thoughts to himself. “I need you.”
Her gaze dropped to his groin and her eyes widened. “You’re in heat now. How could I not notice that before? You’re as hard as a rock.”
“Yeah.” He had to leash his beast when it tried to spring forward. The wolf inside him howled for Shannon. Sweat broke out all over his body and he started to breathe heavily. He worried about scaring her. “My control is slipping.” He winced at the harsh tone of his voice.
She reached for her shirt. “Do we have condoms? We might want to use them just in case you can’t stop from biting me again. We’ve taken a lot of risks in the past few hours.”
The memory of feeling her without them made him want to lie. Nothing had ever been as good as his bare cock riding her hot, sleek pussy as it squeezed around him. He’d always worn protection during the heat, never trusted a woman not to tempt him into mating her when his defenses were down, but Shannon wasn’t just any woman. He wanted to keep her. He wanted to spill his seed deep inside her while biting into her flesh to bind them together forever.
“They’re inside the nightstand. Von always keeps them stocked in all the guestrooms. He entertains out-of-town werewolves when Dad invites them here.”
She removed her shirt, tossed it onto the chair in the corner, and his fists clenched at the sight of her soft, pale breasts. Her nipples probably reacted from the chill of the room instead of needing him as much as he did her. He watched her open the drawer, remove a box and set it on the edge of the nightstand. She tortured him by slowly baring every inch of her body for him to drool over. He swallowed fast, figuring she wouldn’t find it sexy. His fangs elongated inside his mouth to press against the inside of his lower lip.
Shannon hesitated to peer at him with such innocence that he really felt like a bastard when all he wanted to do was bend her over and fuck her until his knees collapsed. A growl erupted. Her eyes widened an
d she licked her lips. It reminded him of her on her knees earlier. That had been surprising, when she’d offered to take care of his needs, and even with her lack of experience, it’d been the best blow job he’d ever gotten, despite making her stop. The memory of her mouth wrapped around him, her tongue teasing his cock, became too much.
He reached down and tore at his pants. Material ripped. He managed to scratch his thigh with a claw, realized his nails were growing as well as his dick and fangs. He closed his eyes to try to calm down and fought the urge to attack her.
“Anton?” She moved closer. “Are you okay?”
He cleared his throat. “I waited too long. Just back off. I don’t want to hurt you. I’m afraid I’ll take you too fast or rough.”
He heard the mattress give as she got on the bed, and opened his eyes. Shannon met his gaze and really drove him insane when she scooted over to the center of the bed. Her arms lifted to grip the headboard bars with both hands, her back arched to taunt him with those luscious breasts that he wanted to suck while he fucked her. She lifted her legs and spread them apart.
The scent of warm, aroused woman slammed into him as if he’d been hit by a two-by-four. His gaze fastened on her pussy and he saw the glistening folds of a woman who wanted him.
He hit the bed before he realized he’d moved. Keep your skin, he silently yelled when his wolf shoved against him from inside, wanting to take her as much as he did. He crouched on all fours with his face over her spread thighs. He felt torn between wanting to bury his face there or his cock, which screamed for relief.
He glanced up to meet her eyes and saw the trust there. She showed no sign of fear though he knew he probably looked pretty terrifying. It calmed him enough to make the correct choice. She wasn’t ready to take him in full heat.
His head lowered, the scent of her making him whimper, and he couldn’t stop salivating. She wouldn’t see that but she’d certainly feel it. He lifted a hand and paused, horrified at his claws protruding an inch from his fingertips. He couldn’t touch her delicate skin or he’d tear her up.
He glanced back at her, unable to speak. Another whimper came from him. He knew hell. He was would die before he hurt Shannon but he wouldn’t survive if he didn’t fuck her soon.
Shannon took deep breaths to remain calm despite knowing how close Anton appeared to losing all control. She wasn’t going to point out that he now had soft black hair on the sides of his face, as if he’d grown sideburns. The color of his eyes had also turned pitch black but other than that, he looked human. Then she saw him staring at his hand with a look of frustration that bordered on horror. She followed his gaze and saw the problem.
She released the headboard and spread her thighs wider. She only hesitated for a second before reaching down to spread her folds to fully expose her pussy to him.
“Is this what you want?”
He snarled—the sound excited more than scared her. He made that soft, pained noise again and tore his gaze from hers to lower to her sex. His fangs showed but he carefully pressed his mouth against her. His tongue rasped against her clit and she closed her eyes when desire flared inside her body as he took one long lick that made her moan. He paused and did it again.
His tongue moved faster, furiously lapping at her, applying more pressure when he nuzzled against her as if he couldn’t get close enough. It drove her passion higher until she removed her hands from her pussy to fist a handful of his hair. She had to tug roughly to get him to release her. His head jerked up and he growled at her, his displeasure clear.
“Fuck me,” she demanded. “I want you now; we’re both hurting to come. I won’t mind if you’re rough. I want you to be.”
He lifted up, the anger easing from his features, and she didn’t take it personally that she’d pissed him off. She understood mating heat now that she’d suffered it firsthand. It was a mindless need—a clawing, painful, gut-wrenching obsession to have sex that left little room for thought.
He didn’t touch her with his hands as he climbed over her. His intense gaze locked with hers and she didn’t try to kiss him. His fangs probably wouldn’t have made that possible without pain. Her hand lowered and she didn’t have to look away from his eyes to find his cock. Her fingers curled around hot, incredibly thick male. His eyes narrowed and he groaned and tipped his head back. His body trembled inches above hers.
She lifted her leg to place one heel on his ass, used her other leg to brace on the bed, and maneuvered her body under his to guide the crown of his cock against the entrance to her pussy. He held still, his entire body rigid, and she knew he was allowing her to take control. She also acknowledged how much inner strength he possessed to fight back the urge to take her.
She heard material rip and jerked her head to the side. His hands fisted the bedding, his claws shredding the material.
“Anton? Take me. You won’t hurt me.”
He refused to look at her, so she lifted her hips, wiggled into perfect position, and tugged on his shaft gently to lure him to enter her.
“Fuck me.” She released his cock and grabbed his ass to dig in her fingernails.
Anton lowered his face, their gazes fused, and he slowly dropped down on her. Sweat beaded his brow and upper lip as he sank into her pussy slowly.
She remembered then that they hadn’t grabbed a condom, but she didn’t want to stop.
She moaned as her vaginal walls were stretched to the point of near pain as he entered her. His cock seemed bigger, thicker, and definitely harder than before. Hot too. She could relate, since she wondered if they’d ignite the bed. She burned for him. Her hips bucked.
That broke his control. His hips slammed against her spread thighs, drove him balls deep into her pussy, and she cried out. “Yes!”
She barely had time to take a breath before he came down on top of her completely, pinned her securely to the bed under him, and his hips started to jackhammer fast and furiously against her. She squeezed her eyes closed, clung to him, and drowned in ecstasy as one unrestrained, sexy Anton fucked her with desperation born from pure lust.
She didn’t care that the headboard slammed loudly against the wall, the pounding nothing compared to her racing heartbeat, her ragged breathing, or the sheer rapture he created. He kept up the furious pace of thrusting deep, nearly sliding out of her completely, only to slam into her again. Sensitive nerve endings seemed to overtake her entire body until the sensory overload of pleasure nearly became too powerful.
Her body shook, her vaginal walls clamped around Anton, and she started to climax. A powerful orgasm coursed throughout her body. She watched Anton with pure love.
Anton howled out his own release when he threw his head back. His hips seized and he trembled violently against her.
He suddenly snapped his head down until their noses nearly touched. His black gaze was so intense she felt she could read his mind. He opened his mouth, sharp fangs showing. His attention shifted from her eyes to somewhere lower and to the right of her jaw. She knew what he intended to do.
He lunged for her shoulder and she released him to grab a fistful of hair when his teeth touched her skin.
“No!” she yelled. “Don’t!” Her other hand rose to grip another handful of his hair.
Anton’s body continued to twitch and she could feel hot jets of his semen filling her. Her vaginal muscles helped it along by milking him with the aftershocks of her climax. His teeth didn’t bite into her though, just held her in their grip tight enough that the points of his fangs dug in slightly, to let her know how close he came to puncturing skin.
She tugged on him. “Don’t. Let go, baby. Don’t bite me.”
His jaw relaxed, the pressure eased, and he suddenly turned his face away.
Anton panted and then shoved his face into the bedding next to her head. He groaned and she felt more of his semen fill her. He seemed to keep coming, and she released his hair to wrap her arms around his shoulders. Her hands caressed his upper back, her legs wrapped around his h
ips tighter, to hold him, and finally both of their bodies seemed to relax.
They lay there until their breathing returned to normal. Anton allowed her to soothe him and just enjoy touching him. She knew she’d never grow tired of exploring his body with her fingertips. She could feel his cock, still rigid inside her, but he’d warned her that would be a side effect of mating heat. He’d remain aroused, ready for sex, and she silently promised to give him as much as he craved. She smiled. It would be her pleasure.
“You okay?” He muffled the words.
“I’m great. Want to go another round?”
His body tensed but then relaxed again. He took a deep breath before he pushed up enough to stare down at her. He studied her eyes and she saw something in his that she couldn’t understand. Sadness.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what? You didn’t hurt me, Anton. That was amazing. I’m up for the rest of mating heat with you. Do you want me again?”
“I always want you, though the heat fades a little between bouts of sex.”
His eyes changed as she watched―the black receded to show the pretty brown again. The faint hair on his cheeks disappeared and his fangs slid up into a perfectly straight row of white, normal-looking teeth. It amazed her how he could do that and she had to admit it was impressive.
“I nearly mated you.”
“I know. I didn’t want you to do something you’d regret.” She tried to hide her disappointment. “Trust me. I’m never going to forget losing my mind when I was filled with hormones. I hope I didn’t hurt you when I pulled your hair.”
“You didn’t. You had to do it to stop me. I wouldn’t have regretted it, Shannon. I told you we needed to talk. That’s what I wanted us to discuss.” He hesitated. “Would you have hated me if I’d bitten you?”
“No. Never.” Her heart started to race. “What are you trying to say?”